Dirks: Tracking shot deer is an important skill

It happens infrequently but when it does, tracking down a deer after taking a shot requires a hunter to be skillful and diligent.

It happens infrequently but when it does, tracking down a deer after taking a shot requires a hunter to be skillful and diligent.

Bowhunters probably encounter this more than gun hunters, but this is one skill you don't hear much about, and should be understood by every hunter.

Knowing how to track and find a wounded deer or bear is a skill all its own. I was taught, like many hunters, if you shoot something, you'd better find it as fast as possible.

Here are some animal recovery basics.

Tracking begins the moment you release that arrow or pull that trigger. In the excitement of the hunt, it's easy to miss these precious few seconds. You have to train yourself to watch the deer carefully and recognize exactly where it was shot and where it went from that moment on to the point it left your sight. If you hunt from a treestand, I can guarantee things can look a bit differently when you hit the ground. What tree was the deer standing next to when you shot? What specific direction did it move in after it left that spot? After your shot, wait 30 minutes or so and then begin to track the deer. A deer can run a long distance if pushed by an eager hunter. Before you leave your stand, take a compass reading so you can note the direction the deer went. An accurate compass reading takes the guesswork out of finding landmarks that look differently on level ground as compared to your treestand. Carry surveyor tape so you can mark each spot you saw the deer. The first spot is where the deer was when you took the shot. The second tape mark will be on the first spot of blood found as the deer went off. Sometimes you can find the blood trail easily and sometimes not. Mark every spot you see with surveyor tape — on a branch above the location is ideal. Get help from other hunters if you can. Use the extra eyes to help you stay on the blood trail. If the blood trail abruptly ends, mark the last spot with surveyor tape. Using that point as the center, start walking around that last marker in ever-larger circles. Keep doing that until you find your deer. Deer are inclined to move downhill after a shot. If you run out of daylight, start over at first light the next morning. The tape marks you put up will help you orient yourself to a fresh search.

Sometimes it takes very little time, other times it could take a day or two. Either way, tracking and recovering is the right thing to do every time.

Dennis DiClaudio, author of the book, "Man vs. Weather," is our featured guest on this week's show. Join us as DiClaudio gives us a humorous and factual look at predicting the weather. Listen in from 7-8 a.m. Saturday on www.WTBQ.com or 99.1-FM/1110-AM.